In
case you are worried about learning a language seemingly so different from
English - fear not! Japanese is an easy
language to get started in. Its sounds
are all variants of English sounds, it borrows many English words, it does not
have 'case', 'person', 'gender' or 'tenses' beyond present and past, unlike
Latin, German, French or English.. to name a few benefits. Plus, it is structured around context - much
is left unsaid and follows from partial statements and situation. Of course, the deeper you go, the stronger
the currents!
The
course is led by British eternal-student Richard Guppy and by Wakako Guppy who
is from Japan, who combine to offer the experiences of student and native
speaker. The course is interactive - the
goal is to speak and to understand what is said, and to practice those skills
in a good-humoured and non-critical setting.Any specific needs of students can be addressed as we go, thanks to
Wakako Guppy's native speaker skills.Optional short daily homework will enhance the benefits of the course,
as any new language acquisition requires repetition, practice, embedding and
experiment.
In
support of speaking and listening the course mainly uses 'Romaji' for written
material - Japanese script written in English equivalent letters - though we
introduce the simple phonetic Hiragana and Katakana systems, for understanding
and as a basis for further learning.
The
course will include visual and audio material.Written material presented during the course will be available online after
the course is completed.
Students are not required to bring any
material other than pen and paper, and otherwise only an open mind and a
readiness to have fun!
Optional Preparation For The Course
1.Japanese system of sounds
The Japanese
alphabet (technically a 'syllabary' or sound system) has five vowels and once
you know how to say each of these then you are good to go, as they stand on
their own or combine after consonants which are already familiar to English
speakers. Students may find it helpful to
become familiar with these vowel sounds (A I U E O ah ee oo eh oh) which are as follows in
relation to British English words though not necessarily to American English:
A as in man, fan,
ran
I as in piece,
niece, fleece
U as in root, boot,
fruit
E as in send, mend,
bend
O as in coat, boat,
note
Please feel free to
practice these sounds a little!
2.Japanese TV, Movies
There is much TV
and film including anime from Japan and about Japan these days, from TV
broadcasters and streaming services such as Netflix. If you can explore a little of this content
using original Japanese with subtitles, you will begin to pick up the sounds
and cadences of Japanese - as well as have good entertainment if it clicks for
you. Just search on 'Japan' within any
media service and you'll probably find plenty.Sample shows that the course tutors have enjoyed (on Netflix unless
otherwise indicated; for DVDs search online) include:
-37 Seconds - coming of age movie for talented disabled woman
-Asakusa Kid - stand-up comedian docu-drama
-Blue Period - budding artist anime series
-Forest of Piano - piano prodigy anime series
-Kabuki, featuring Toma Ikuta - kabuki theatre documentary
-Kantaro, the Sweet Tooth Salaryman - comedy drama on obsessive dessert
eater
-Kotaro Lives Alone - slice of life anime series around 5 year old orphan
-Love and Fortune - romance drama series of woman finding her way
-Midnight Diner (2014) - drama series of larger-than-life folk at a night diner
-Old Enough! - docu-drama series on toddlers secretly filmed running errands
-The Great Passage - anime dictionary-making / autism anime series on Prime
-We Couldn't Become Adults - romance movie of making sense of lost love
-Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop - cute first-love anime with great sound / colour
-Café Lumiere - DVD portraying native life in Japan; slow but engrossing
-Our Little Sister - DVD magical story of teenage girl adopted by older sisters
-I Wish - DVD touching story of two boys' scheming to reunite after parental
divorce
3.Facebook
The tutors have public Facebook pages relating to Japan which you can find by
searching on the following terms:
- Kitchen Wakako Facebook
- lifelong learning
Japanese Facebook
